St Christopher’s RC Primary & Nursery School

Geography Curriculum (Curriculum Designer & Leader: Natalie Gilligan)

At St Christopher’s Geography teaching is about developing an understanding of our world, primarily through experience, investigation and learning from primary and secondary sources. We use fieldwork to study the local area by collecting, analysing and communicating a range of data. To study further afield, we use a range of sources including maps, diagrams, globes, aerial photographs and Geographical Information Systems (GIS).

High-quality geography education should inspire pupils’ curiosity about the world and its people that will remain with them for the rest of their lives. Teaching should equip pupils with the knowledge about diverse places, people, resources and natural and human environments, together with a deep understanding of the Earth’s key physical and human processes. Our children will hopefully discover an interest and wish to pursue it in their Secondary Education.

In Nursery, Reception and Key Stage 1, pupils develop knowledge about the world, the United Kingdom and their locality. In Key Stage 2, pupils should extend their knowledge and understanding of the local area to include the United Kingdom and Europe, and North and South America. As pupils progress, their growing knowledge about the world should help them to deepen their understanding of the interaction between human and physical processes, and the formation and use of landscapes and environments. Geographical knowledge, understanding and skills provide the framework and approaches that explain how the Earth’s features at different time scales have shaped, interconnected and changed over time.

We use the ‘Challenge Curriculum’ and ‘big questions’ to promote geographical enquiry, allowing our pupils to investigate, consider, reflect and review. The children’s geographical learning is a mixture of finding out about our local area and the wider world. We have also tried to make links with the English curriculum and the book they use for some Year groups.

Understanding of physical geography starts with the familiar area of Ashton, volcanoes in Year 3, rivers in Year 4 and mountains in Year 5. More in-depth studies allow children to develop an understanding of the interactions between physical and human geography, with units on water and cities in Year 5 and the Brazilian rainforest in Year 6.
Progression within the curriculum is clear it starts with what the children are familiar with and extends outwards. Progression in fieldwork skills is built across units, with many units offering opportunities for mapping, technical drawing and exploring their environment in a concrete physical way. Other units offer scope for children to use digital resources, blobs and geographical information systems to explore regions. Key technical vocabulary is mapped onto each unit, allowing children to build a rich bank of geographical language.

Each unit is supported by a knowledge mat which details the key vocab, interesting books and the key knowledge required. These are sent home to parents to help them complete a project before the unit is started.